Lake Placid (1999)

Steve Miner has quite the varied filmography, but he's arguably best known for being the man who served up the second and third (3D) instalment of the Friday The 13th movie series. Having also given us Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and House, he's quite the horror franchise guy. Lake Placid is a different beast from those films, but the mix of humour and thrills is not entirely removed from the playfulness that Miner has often had in his best work. And I would put this up there as some of his best work.

The story is quite simple. There seems to be a big beast that has made home in a large lake in Maine. This becomes obvious when the beast attacks someone scuba diving in the lake, biting them in half. Sheriff Hank Keough (Brendan Gleeson), Fish & Game Officer Jack Wells (Bill Pullman), and a paleontologist sent along from the big city, Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda), all get to work trying to figure out what is hiding in the lake. Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt), an expert on mythology and crocodiles, thinks that he already knows.

A creature feature that decides to focus on the interaction between the characters, as well as plenty of humour, Lake Placid might be a bit tame for some (there's only one truly memorable death scene, and it's in the first few minutes of the film), but it's a lot of fun, doesn't outstay its welcome, and features some superb special effects work. The big croc looks fantastic throughout, and feels like a very real, physical, threat to anyone nearby.

Writer David E. Kelly goes for quirkiness, and is helped by the casting. Profanity always sounds better coming from Betty White, and she gets to deliver a couple of truly memorable lines here. While we get the standard meet-cute moments between Pullman and Fonda, the better relationship is the one between Gleeson and Platt, two men who immediately start off butting heads before starting to grudgingly admire one another.

When it comes to Gleeson and Platt, two men I enjoy seeing in anything, this gives them some great dialogue to spout, making it an easy film to recommend if you're fans of their work. Pullman is doing his fairly bland, but likeable, schtick, and that's fine for this, and Fonda gives yet another very enjoyable performance that makes me remember how disappointed I was when she seemed to suddenly disappear from movies. White, playing an old woman who lives lakeside, and who may know a bit more than she's letting on about any possible nearby crocodile, is a joy every time she's onscreen.

It may not be as good as the amazing Alligator, but Lake Placid can easily make a claim to be the best killer crocodile movie. And with a runtime of only 82 minutes, it's almost impossible for you to feel as if you've wasted your time on it, even if you somehow end up not enjoying it as much as I do.

8/10

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Kiss Of The Dragon (2001)

Jet Li stars in this action movie that has a script co-written by Luc Besson, so you should know exactly what to expect. Yes, there's a fun, action-packed opener, a couple of good set-pieces throughout, and a decent finale. As for character development and nuance, those things are out the window. That doesn't matter when the focus is on Li kicking ass, but it's not so good during the non-action moments.

Li is a Chinese intelligence agent who travels to Paris to help out the police there. They're mounting an operation to catch a well-known criminal (Ric Young). Unfortunately for Li, it turns out that he's about to be set up by Inspector Richard (Tcheky Karyo), an officer who is more concerned with making money from drugs and prostitution than any real police work. Framed for a crime he didn't commit, Li soon finds himself a very wanted man. He does his best to lay low, but that can only last so long. Richard and co. should be worried, however, when he decides that it's time to fight back.

Chris Nahon is the director, but with this being his first time in the big chair for a feature he doesn't really show any unique style, or even any great potential for things to come (at the time of writing, this remains, arguably, his best film). The script, which has Robert Mark Kamen working with Besson to develop a story idea by Li, is perfunctory, at best. There are some nice moments with Li using needles to either help or hinder people, but everything else is predictable from start to finish.

Li is great in the main role, and he's enough to keep everything above average. Not only is he a fantastic martial artist, but he also does well in scenes that require him to show some sweetness and/or good humour. Karyo is a fun villain, always seconds away from exploding in a fit of rage, and he has at least two great henchmen available to help him out (Cyril Raffaelli and Didier Azoulay). Bridget Fonda has one of her lesser roles, playing a woman forced into prostitution and drug use, and there are small roles for Burt Kwouk, Paul Barrett, and Max Ryan, among others.

Fans seeking an easy action fix will find enough to enjoy here. The editing isn't perfect, by any means, but it's not as bad as it could be, and there are some good tunes accompanying the dynamic moves. Watching Li fight is immensely satisfying, and there are a couple of set-pieces here that at least try to take things a step beyond the normal, Americanised action moments. It won't make any Top 10 lists, but it's one that I've watched numerous times, and will undoubtedly watch again at some point.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-of-the-Dragon-Blu-ray/dp/B000K14LTK/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1405919253&sr=1-4&keywords=kiss+of+the+dragon

Drop Dead Fred (1991)

Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) is an imaginary friend to a young girl named Elizabeth. Well, he's imaginary, but also very real. Or is he? If you want to view this movie in a nice, entertaining way then yes, yes he is. Because the other option is a bit too dark. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Young Elizabeth grows up to be older Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates), and viewers get to see her having a very bad day. She loses her fella, her job, her car, and her money. And she ends up having to stay with her mother (Marsha Mason). And that's when Drop Dead Fred reappears. He claims that he's always ready to help when needed most, and a lot of his antics are good fun at the time, but he also ends up landing Elizabeth in a lot of hot water. Just like he did when she was just a kid.

Directed by Ate de Jong (who has numerous other credits, but this remains, arguably, his most popular film), Drop Dead Fred is a fun, but uneven, movie that benefits immensely from the two lead performances. Mayall can do anarchic and childish in his sleep, and he's perfect as Fred. Seeing him alongside Ashley Peldon, who portrays the young Elizabeth, shows how great his personality works with children, and also shows a sweetness at the heart of his constant mischief. Cates doesn't often get her due for her movie roles, and I'm as guilty of that as anyone, but she does well here to not be completely overshadowed by Mayall, and the moments that require more physical comedy from her allow her to display just how good she is. Mason is also great as the cold mother, Tim Matheson is enjoyably loathsome as a suave sonofabitch undeserving of Elizabeth's love, Carrie Fisher is a lot of fun as the best friend who tries to help out until her patience is stretched to breaking point, and Ron Eldard is, well, a bit bland, but harmless enough, as Mickey, a former childhood friend and now the guy who may be a better match for Elizabeth.

The script, by Carlos Davis and Anthony Fingleton, does everything that it needs to do, but it never realises the full potential of the premise (though one scene, involving a room full of kids, all with their own imaginary friends, comes close). It does, however, manage to walk a tightrope fairly effectively, always reassuring viewers that Fred is very real, which allows everyone to root for Cates instead of just worrying about her fractured state of mind. Mind you, a more ambiguous treatment of the material may have yielded more interesting results.

Although dressed up as a movie aimed at children, this is almost equally a movie aimed at adults remembering their childhood. We've all had days when we'd like to do nothing more than build a fort out of the furniture cushions and hide away inside it. We've all had moments when we'd love to just go crazy, let out all of our frustrations, and to hell with the consequences. Drop Dead Fred is made for those moments when you want to walk over a white carpet without taking your shoes off, when you want to make a mud pie, when you want to touch the wet paint. It speaks to the part of our brain that used to be more fascinated with the interior of our nostrils than the depths of the oceans or the vastness of outer space. Kids will enjoy it, but probably not as much as the adults yearning for a time when they didn't have to be so responsible.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drop-Dead-Fred-Phoebe-Cates/dp/B000260NTK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402434093&sr=8-1&keywords=drop+dead+fred

A Simple Plan (1998)

Directed by Sam Raimi, and adapted for the screen by Scott B. Smith (working from his own novel), A Simple Plan is a low-key film from a director better known for wild adventures and some frenetic camerawork. He may not have been the obvious choice to work with this material, but the end result speaks for itself.

Bill Paxton plays Hank, a young man working hard to maintain a decent life for himself and his pregnant partner, Sarah (Bridget Fonda). But everything looks as if it could change for the better when Hank, his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), and Jacob's drinking buddy, Lou (Brent Briscoe), discover a crashed plane in the woods that happens to have over $4M dollars on board. The men decide to keep the money, but to wait until they find out whether or not it is safe to spend. If any heat starts to come down on them, at all, then Hank will turn their find over to the police. It's not long until the money starts to cause problems, and paranoia begins to set in.

Set in a Minnesota covered in snow - I don't know if it's often so white there or just seasonally - this is a stark film. A film that juxtaposes death and blood right beside all of that pure, white snow. It also juxtaposes a situation getting out of control with performances that are brilliantly calm and natural. Paxton has rarely been better in an everyday Joe role, Thornton is as great as he so often can be, and it's only Briscoe who gets to act up a bit, although his character still feels very believable as he just happens to be that kind of drunken ass. Fonda's character is not onscreen all that often, but makes quite an impact on the proceedings with the ideas that she gives to Hank. And then there's Chelcie Ross and Gary Cole, both doing great work in small, but vital, roles.

One of a few Sam Raimi movies that doesn't feel obviously like a Sam Raimi movie, this shows that he can leave his reliable bag of tricks aside, when the material is strong enough, and focus on crafting a story full of memorable characters without any quirks, overdone horror or ridiculous diversions pandering to his own sense of humour. That's not to say that I don't love many of his other movies (I do, I REALLY do, especially the three films featuring a certain young man named Ash battling a load of demons in a cabin in the woods), but it's always good to see him stretching himself slightly instead of relying on the stuff that he knows will please his fans.

A film executed in a way that almost mirrors the plotting, this seems simple enough, but there's plenty going on to make it appear so enjoyable and effortless. It's well worth your time.

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simple-Plan-DVD-Bill-Paxton/dp/B007ECE378/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385152923&sr=8-1&keywords=a+simple+plan

Single White Female (1992)

Psychopaths, how can you avoid them? Because, according to Hollywood, they're absolutely everywhere and you need to be careful and vigilant at all times. Don't have a fling (Fatal Attraction), don't take in tenants (Pacific Heights), don't become the object of affection for any young girl (The Crush), don't hire a temp (The Temp), don't visit any dentists who are having severe emotional problems (The Dentist & The Dentist 2), don't go white water rafting (The River Wild), don't pick up any hitch-hikers (The Hitcher), don't ever go to summer camp (almost every teen slasher movie ever), don't fall for a charming landlord (The Resident), don't let anyone put you at ease and begin singing the praises of Huey Lewis & The News (American Psycho) and don't, under any circumstances, spend a night at the Bates Motel. Of course, there are many other places to find psychos but I think that provides a decent cross-section of the main pitfalls to look out for. Oh, and if you were thinking of advertising for a flatmate then Single White Female advises you not to do that either.

Based on the novel, "SWF Seeks Same", by John Lutz, Single White Female is a glossy, Hollywood thriller that stays very entertaining and enjoyable for about 3/4 of its runtime. Sadly, like many movies from this particular subgenre, it starts to fall apart under the strain of numerous silly choices made and a number of characters being far too slow on the uptake.

Bridget Fonda plays Allison Jones, a decent young woman trying to make it on her own in the big city. Well, she was actually trying to make it with the support of her boyfriend (Sam, played by Steven Weber) but it turns out that he's actually not been entirely truthful with her. Upset and angry, Allison considers giving up and moving back home but instead makes the decision to carry on and to get herself a flatmate. She lives in a great, rent-controlled, apartment so the flatmate wouldn't be on the lease and would have to not really introduce herself to everyone as a tenant of the building. This suits Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a quiet and pleasant girl who makes a great impression on Allison. It's only as more and more time passes that Allison realises something isn't quite right about Hedra. Things seem to escalate as Allison and Sam reconcile - Hedra often becomes snappy and also starts to feel more like an overbearing intruder rather than a friendly flatmate. And it also becomes obvious that she is trying to emulate Allison in her appearance and wardrobe choices. Is she a shy young woman looking to style herself upon someone she admires or is she getting obsessive?

There's a decent enough screenplay by Don Roos and solid direction by Barbet Schroeder but I'd have to say that Single White Female is a movie made into something very entertaining by the cast members. Both Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh are great in the lead roles, able to show vulnerability when required and also steely resolve. Steven Weber is just fine as Sam, Peter Friedman is enjoyable as the upstairs neighbour who gets on well with Allison and Stephen Tobolowsky is fantastic as the sleazy Mitch Myerson, a man who hires Allison for her computing skills but assumes that he has the upper hand in their working relationship.

By the time the movie starts to get bogged down by the number of thriller cliches and poorer moments it doesn't really matter so much because you've gone along with the leads and been rewarded with some surprising nastiness, a fun build-up and an enjoyably warped sexual frisson weaving throughout the developing plot.

7/10

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